Pull toy



Dec. 7, 1965 w. RIVA 3,221,445

PULL TOY Filed June 18, 1962 IN V EN T 0R.

HTT R B Y5 United States Patent 3,221,445 PULL TOY William Riva, 116 a. 95th St., New York, N.Y. Filed time is, 1962, SH. No. 2a3,292 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-494) The present invention relates to toys, and more particularly to the class of toys known as pull toys, or motion toys, which are commonly mounted on wheels and provided with a string or cord whereby they may be drawn over the floor surface by a child. Usually the toy simulates some character or object, and means is provided whereby the movement of the toy is accompanied by action, or a noise, or both, similar to the action or sound made by the character or object simulated by the toy.

Some toys in the category referred to are quite simple simulations of animals, persons, or ordinary objects and, therefore, do not possess a degree of fascination which will make them an attractive and lasting plaything. Other such toys display a quality of ingeniousness and creativeness which sets them apart from the mere simulations of commonplace things, and it is to this latter class that the present invention belongs.

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is the provision of a novel pull toy which possesses a deep fascination, making it inherently a readily marketable item and an attractive plaything of which a child will not quickly tire and discard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy of the aforesaid character which possesses the high degree of novelty that results in the development of a simple means for accomplishing the desired result, and simplicity is a watchword in the crowded art to which the present invention relates.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy of the character referred to which embraces an educational or teaching function.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide inexpensively a rugged toy structure capable of withstanding the abusive treatment to which playthings are innocently subjected by infants and young children.

It is a feature of the present invention that its fascination derives from the fact that it is completely a product of creative imagination, having no counterpart in actuality yet being highly suggestive of animated reality.

Also, a feature of the present invention is the fact that in spite of its unreality, it suggests something familiar even to an infant and thus stirs the childs developing imagination and sense of deriving pleasure from things.

Other objects and features of the present invention could be set forth but it is believed that they will be obvious to persons skilled in the art from a study of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention which follows.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely by way of example and in preferred form and obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form as embodiment, except insofar as such limitations are set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in phantom outline, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1.

According to the present invention, and as shown in the drawings, the structure 10 is a simulation of a pair of childs shoes A and B mounted for movement as though a person were walking in them. Each shoe comprises a support 11 in the outline of a shoe sole from which there rises a shoe upper 12 with the customary lacing 13 at the instep. The simulated pair of shoes is supported on a base 14, which in turn is supported for movement on two rear wheels 15 and 16 and a front wheel 17. Thus, by the attachment of a string or cord (not shown) to the front of the structure (the 1eft-hand end in FIG. 1) it may be pulled to draw or roll it across a floor or other surface.

About midway in a fore and aft direction, and a short distance above its vertical center, the base 14 is formed with a drill hole (not shown) extending therethrough from one side edge to the other, the drill hole serving as a bearing in which an axle 18 is mounted for rotation with the opposite ends of the axle extending outward beyond the side edges of the base 14. The wheels 15 and 16 are fixedly mounted on the extending ends of the axle 18 for rotation therewith, being mounted with a substantial clearance, as at 19, between their inner faces and the sides of the base 14. At its front end, the base 14 is formed with a deep cut-out or recess 20 to accommodate the wheel 17 (which is of smaller diameter than the wheels 15 and 16) mounted therein for rotation on a pin 21 fitted in a drill hole therefor and extending from one side of the base 14 across the recess 20 and into the base on the opposite side of the recess. The base 14 is also formed with a pair of shallow recesses 22 located one in each of areas 23 on opposite sides of the recess 20. Each recess 22 accommodates the hollow end 24 of a bracket 25, mounted therein to pivot on a pin 26 spanning the recess 22 and bearing in drill holes formed in the base 14 on opposite sides of the recess.

The brackets 25 are bent in the form of an inverted L and when mounted on the pins 26 they extend upward so that their horizontally disposed legs 27 lie in a plane spaced above the top surface of the base 14. The legs 27 are secured one to each of the simulated shoe sole supports at the toe portion thereof and constitute independent pivotal mountings for the simulated shoes. The toe portion 28 of each shoe upper 12 is formed with a weight 29 heavy enough to substantially counterbalance the weight of the heel and top portions of the shoe uppers. The heel portions of the shoe structures rest by gravity on the base 14 and are free for movement relative thereto on the pivotally mounted brackets 25.

Coming now to the means for effecting the movement of the shoes to simulate walking, the rear wheels are provided on their inner faces with cam elements, the wheel 15 carrying a cam 31 and the wheel 16 carrying a cam 30. The earns 30 and 31 are of less thickness than the width of the space 19 between the respective wheel and the side of base 14 so as not to interfere with the free rotation of the wheels, and each cam presents an arculate surface 32 whose radius is less than that of the wheel by which it is carried and whose length is less than onehalf the circumference of the wheel rim, whereby it lies radially inward of the periphery of the wheel. It is also pointed out that the cams 30 and 31 are mounted on radially opposite sides of the axis of the axle 18. Thus, when the cam 31 is above the axle 18, the cam 30 lies below the axle.

Having thus set forth the construction of the structure 10, its operation will now be described. With the parts in the position shown in the drawings, the cam 30 is in its lowermost and inactive position and the cam 31 is in its uppermost .position midway of its length or effective thrust. In this position of the parts the shoe A is supported at the toe end by its bracket 25 and its heel portion rests by gravity on top of the base 14, whereas the cam 31 on the wheel 15 is in contact with the under surface of the support 11 or sole of the shoe B and has lifted the heel of the shoe B above the top of the base 14, the

shoe having pivoted as its toe end on its supporting bracket 25. As the wheel-s and 16 turn (counterclockwise in FIG. 1) the cam surface 32 of the cam 31 elevates the shoe B higher until the following end 34 thereof commences to descent at the portion of the wheel 15 then in front and because of its fiat side 36 the cam 31 permits the shoe B to fall back rapidly and with a clatter to its position of rest on top of the base 14.

At approximately the time that the following end 34 of the cam 31 on the wheel 15 commences its descent to permit the lowering of the shoe B, the leading end of the cam 30 on the wheel 16 engages the under surface of the support 11 or sole of the shoe A to raise the heel thereof and cause the shoe to pivot at the toe end on its bracket 25. It will be noted that because the arcuate cam surfaces 32 are less than semi-circular a timing is provided whereby the elevating of one shoe and the falling back of the other shoe commence substantially at the same time, and of course it follows, since the cam surfaces 32 are of equal length, that there is a uniform dwell with one of the shoes in elevated position and the other resting on top of the base 14. Continued turning of the wheels 15 and 16 effects repetitious movements of the shoes, and the visual impression is an amazing simulation of the feet of a toddling child.

It should be pointed out that weight distribution is a important factor. Thus it will be apparent from the showing in the drawings that the solid base 14 supported in just slightly raised position by relatively small wheels 15 and 16 provides a structure having a low center of gravity; and the weighted toes of the shoes A and B act to shift the center of weight forward of the axle 18. Accordingly, the low sub-structure performs the dual function of preventing the unit from tipping over easily and of giving visual prominence to the pair of shoes carried thereon.

From an educational standpoint, preferably the lacmg of one shoe is permanent and one is loosely strung and fixed to the shoe upper in the region of the lowermost eyelets 37. Thus it is free to be unlaced and laced to teach a child this function. Obviously both laces could be loosely strung, but this could lead to the confusion of the child rather a teaching in that he might attempt to cross-lace the shoes rather than to follow the eyelets of one shoe.

As already stated, the invention has been shown and described merely by way of example and in preferred form and obviously modifications and variations may be made therein which will fall within the scope of the appended claims, which are to be considered limited only to the extent that limitations are expressly set forth therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A pull toy adapted for translation over a supporting surface and comprising, in combination, a base member, an axle rotatably mounted on the base member, a pair of wheels mounted in a spaced-apart relation on said axle to support the base member spaced above said supporting surface and in rolling engagement therewith, a pair of elongated supports arranged in side by side relation above said base member, a pivot means fixed against translational movement independently mounting said supports at one end thereof on the base member, the pivot means permitting the opposite ends of said supports to rest by gravity on the base member, and elevator means for alternately lifting each of said supports periodically out of their respective positions of rest, said elevator means being acutated by the rotation of the wheels whereby said supports are slowly lifted and rapidly dropped due to gravity.

2. A pull toy adapted for translation over a supporting surface and comprising, in combination, a base member, an axle rotatably mounted on the base member, a pair of wheels mounted in spaced-apart relation on said axle to support the base member spaced above said supporting surface and in rolling engagement therewith, a pair of elongated supports arranged in side by side relation above said base member, a pivot means fixed against translational movement independently mounting said supports at one end thereof on the base member, the pivot means permitting the opposite ends of said supports to rest by gravity on the base member, and elevator means for alternately lifting each of said supports periodically out of their respective positions of rest, said elevator means being actuated by the rotation of the wheels whereby said supports are slowly lifted and rapidly dropped due to gravity, wherein the elevator means comprises a boss formed on each wheel and disposed to engage and lift the contiguous one of said supports during rotation of the wheels.

3. A combination as in claim 2, characterized by the fact that the wheels are fixedly mounted on the axle to locate the boss on one wheel on the radially opposite side of the axle from the boss on the other wheel.

4. A pull toy adapted for translation over a supporting surface and comprising, in combination, a base member, an axle rotatably mounted on the base member, a pair of wheels mounted in spaced-apart relation on said axle to turn therewith and to support the base member spaced above said supporting surface and in rolling engagement therewith, a pair of elongate supports arranged in side by side relation above said base member, a pivot means fixed against translational movement independently mounting said supports at one end thereof on the base member, the pivot means permitting the opposite ends of said supports to rest by gravity on the base member, and elevator means for alternately lifting each of said supports periodically out of their respective positions of rest, said elevator means being actuated by the rotation of the wheels wherein said supports are each a simulation of an infants shoe sole and carried thereby is a simulation of a shoe upper, and wherein the elevator means operates to lift the supports in alternation in simulation of a walking movement.

5. A combination according to claim 4, including a third wheel rotatably mounted on the base member medially near the front end thereof, and including a weight added to the front ends of said elongate supports to overbalance the toy structure at its forward end.

6. A pull toy adapted to be drawn over a floor surface and comprising, in combination, a base member, an axle mounted on the base member for rotation and disposed transversely thereof and extending beyond the side edges thereof, a wheel fixed to each end of the axle for rotation therewith, the diameter of said wheels being greater than the thickness of the base member, whereby the wheels support the base member in spaced relation to the floor surface and also extend above the top of the base member, a boss arranged on the inner face of each wheel and formed with an arcuate cam surface the radius of which is shorter than the radius of the wheel and the surface of which extends around the wheel for a distance less than one-half the circumference of the wheel, the bosses on the wheels being disposed one on each side of the axis of the wheels, and a pair of structures simulating an infants shoes pivotally mounted at the toe ends on top of the base member, the heel portions thereof resting on the base member and the outer marginal areas of the said structures overlying the cam surfaces on the respec tive wheels, whereby when the wheels are rotated the cam surfaces periodically engage and thrust upwardly on the said pair of structures to move them in alternation and impart a simulated walking movement thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,772,513 12/1956 Hagen 46-205 2,822,642 2/1958 Ireland 46l 07 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PULL TOY ADAPTED FOR TRANSLATION OVER A SUPPORTING SURFACE AND COMPRISING, IN COMBUSTION, A BASE MEMBER, AN AXLE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE BASE MEMBER, A PAIR OF WHEELS MOUNTED IN A SPACED-APART RELATION ON SAID AXLE TO SUPPORT THE BASE MEMBER SPACED ABOVE SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND IN ROLLING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, A PAIR OF ELONGATED SUPPORTS ARRANGED IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION ABOVE SAID BASE MEMBER, A PIVOT MEMBER FIXED AGAINST TRANSLATION MOVEMENT INDEPENDENTLY MOUNTING SAID SUPPORTS AT ONE END THEREOF ON THE BASE MEMBER, THE PIVOT MEANS PERMITTING THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SUPPORTS TO REST BY GRAVITY ON THE BASE MEMBER, AND ELEVATOR MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY LIFTING EACH OF SAID SUPPORTS PERIOIDICALLY OUT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS OF REST, SAID ELEVATOR MEANS BEING ACTUATED BY THE ROTATION OF THE WHEELS WHEREBY SAID SUPPORTS ARE SLOWLY LIFTED AND RAPIDLY DROPED DUE TO GRAVITY. 